MIAMI, Fla. (2/24/13) – The
Arkansas State women’s tennis team fell to 2-3 on the season and 0-3 against
Sun Belt Conference opponents after a 5-2 loss to Florida International on
Sunday.

The Red Wolves were able to win
the doubles point again for the fourth time in five matches this season.ASU’s No. 1 pair of Janie Nowland/Ioana Teu
defeated FIU’s duo of Rita Maisak/Aleksandra Trifunovic 9-7, but A-State’s No.
2 pair of Tamara Slijepcevic/Biljana Miloshevska dropped an 8-2 decision to FIU’s
pair of Giulietta Boha/Carlotta Orlanda.Arkansas State’s pair of Jess Heeps-Eriksen/Sofia Krsmanovic clinched
the doubles point for the Red Wolves with an 8-2 win over Magali Holt/Michelle
Sabado of FIU.

The singles competition didn’t go
ASU’s way however as Heeps-Eriksen was the lone winner with a 7-6(5), 6-2
victory over Sabado.Slijepcevic was
able to win her first set against Orlando, but lost the next two sets and fell
by a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.Nowland fell
in a tough match to Maisak 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 and Teu lost in straight sets to Trifunovic
6-1, 6-2.Miloshevska was another
straight set victim as she lost to Boha 6-2, 6-2, while freshman Chiara
Stefanov was defeated by Holt 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Engelbrecht added, “We played a
good competitive match today.We need to
close out the opportunities we have to win matches.Overall we played with a lot more heart and
desire.”

A-State’s next match is scheduled
for March 2 against Northwestern State.Action in Natichitoches, La. is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.